I am totally confused as to what is and isn't a significant eye problem and how often dogs eyes need to be tested.
I have been considering a litter and initial enquiries revealed that only the mum of the litter had been eye tested. When I asked why the sire hadn't been checked, the breeder said that even if he did have cataracts they wouldn't significantly effect the dogs' vision so not everyone bothers to test. She said that plenty of us humans have poor sight and we still have kids. which I guess is true, but we don't see many dogs wearing spectacles.
I've since asked to see the mum's eye test and I noticed it was done several years ago.
Do eye tests need to be done annually or are there ones which show the dog is clear for life?
It really is so difficult to find out what I should be insisting on as when I talk to breeders that don't test they seem so plausible.
I've looked on the breed listing on the KC accredited breeder scheme and they ask for hips and eye testing for Belgian Shepherds, but it doesn't tell me whether these are annual or lifetime tests for eyes. Or indeed what is a good hip score.
Do the KC check that all the accredited breeders are doing all the tests, that dogs have passed and that the tests are all up to date? Or do I need to double check?
How can I find out more?
It says elsewhere on the KC site that the eye problem in the breed I am interested in is hereditary cataracts but I can't see any more information as to when the dogs need to be tested, how often and how significant a problem HC would be for a sufferer and what age it would start.
Are eyes really not much of a problem in Belgian Shepherd Dogs, am I worrying too much?
The more I look, the more complicated this subject seems to get!
Name and address witheld
Posterior polar subcapsular cataracts sit on the suture lines on the lens at the back of the eye. Generally these cataracts are stationary and don't cause a major problem to the affected dog, however thay can progress and cause significant vision problems and total blindness.
ReplyDeleteAs these cataracts can develop at any time the BVA suggest annual eye testing up to the age of nine years and only breed from stock with a current clear certificate.(eg within 12 months).
We have had several instances in Belgians where the cataracts have developed at 5 years and later. This is unfortunate as it is rather late to breed from a bitch for the first time at five years old. However, if breeding stock does develop cataracts at a later date at least breeders know that it is in their lines and can make informed decisions based on that knowledge.
They are considered clear for life if still unaffected by nine years of age.
Professor Bedford thinks it is a dominant gene with incomplete penetrance so dogs can have it and not always manifest it which is unfortunate, so until we get a DNA marker we will find it hard to eradicate and the annual eye test is the only option we have at present.
All accredited breeders are required by the KC to have current eye certs for their breeding animals but I'm not sure how much they actually check
If I was buying a Belgian I would want to see the certificates of both parents.
The breeder should be very happy to show you these and also the parents hip score certificates. Ideally the scores should be below the breed average of 11.
Hope this helps
Janet